Living in the past
by Auramaster24
Summary: After his hometown is attacked, Ash mysteriously disappears for months. What happened and when the time comes will Ash be able to face his greatest foe alone or is he ever alone? First four chapters by Jiyle. continuing for Jiyle. Pokeshipping and Aura?shipping (OC and ?)
1. Return To Pallet

Chapter 1: Return To Pallet

I do not own Pokemon

A lone figure sat on the back of a lake in the dark forest. He had messy

black hair that looked like it hadn't been cut in months that poked out

from under his shirt, a ragged light gray sweatshirt, and fairly old black

pants with a matching black floor length cloak. The hood of the cloak was

drawn over his head so you couldn't see anything but his mouth. A yellow

mouse sat by him.

"That one day.." he murmured "That one day changed it all.." The mouse nodded

as it watched the moon's reflection on the water while recalling the

memory.

-Flashback-

Ash Ketchum smiled contently as he watched Cyndaquil and Pachirisu chase

each other around. He had a feeling though, that today would be eventful.

"Ash?" he looked up at the pick haired nurse "There's a call for you from

Pallet Town."

"Okay." he replied "Thanks Nurse Joy." Pikachu then jumped onto his shoulder

as he headed towards the video phones. On screen was a frazzled looking

Professor Oak with worry evident in his eyes "Professor, what is it?" he

asked

"Ash, thank goodness you're here." he sighed of relief "It's your mother"

"Huh? My mom? What about her?"

"She's- she's-" the Pokemon researcher took a deep breath and finished

"She's in a coma."

Ash choked on his breath as he heard the last three words. Coma? How could

the one who raised and supported him his whole life be in a coma?

"Professor, I'm coming over." he finally got out. He hung up before anymore

could be said

-End Flashback-

"That day changed everything." he sighed "Of course, it might've been

different if she hadn't been there." The mouse nodded in agreement "Well,

we can't hide forever. It's about time I visited Mom anyway.."

Ash sighed as he walked through the doors of Pallet Memorial Hospital

"Hello, can I help you?" the nurse asked

"Yes, I'm here to visit Delia Ketchum." he replied. The nurse fiddled with

the computer before responding

"I'm sorry, but at the moment, only family are allowed to visit her."

"I am family. I'm her son"

"Oh! May I have verification?" he held out his Sinnoh Pokedex to her "Well

then, her room is 502."

"Thank you" he then headed towards the elevator.

-Meanwhile-

In room 502, it was pure chaos. Delia Ketchum had woken up a month ago,

but was frantic for her son every time she was awake

"Where is he?!" she screamed "Where's my baby?!"

"I'm sorry ma'am!" one of the doctors yelped as he ducked under a flying

vase "He disappeared shortly after you first arrived. The last one

reported to have seen him is a Misty Waterflower."

"I don't care who last saw him!" she shrieked "I just want Ash here!"

-Outside-

"Are you sure this is safe?" Ash asked his friend "It doesn't sound pretty

in there" The mouse rolled its eyes and nodded "If you say so" he then

knocked on the door before entering. The doctors were too busy trying to

put his mother to sleep while dodging the various flying objects to notice

the newcomer

Ash's eyes widened. He had never known his mother to cause so much chaos.

He raised his hand to catch an oncoming medicine bottle, and finally the

doctors noticed him

"Excuse me," one of them said "It would be safer if you left the room."

Delia looked up and immediately stopped her tirade

"Ash!" she cried out. The doctors took a double take as Ash maneuvered

himself around the wreckage.

"Hi Mom." he carefully sidestepping a shattered bottle on the floor "Sorry

I couldn't come sooner. I just got news you woke up and I sort of had a

hard time getting here."

"Oh Ash, I was so worried! The doctors kept saying you were gone, exactly

where have you been?"

He shrugged "I've been hanging around Cameroon. I just got into town"

"Oh well then, you must be exhausted." she smiled weakly "Why don't you

head back to the house? Your friends are all staying there."

"No thanks." he said a little too quickly "I think I'll just... head to the

Lab. I'll come back tomorrow. Bye." He then left the room

"Pikachu pika?" the Pokemon asked once he closed the door

"I can't go back to them yet. Or at least not to her.." he replied as he

remembered the painful day. "Never mind, let's go up to the mountains and

find a cave." he then started walking into the woods

Professor Oak's eyes widened as he read some data on the computer.

"Tracey!" he shouted "Tracey come here!"

His assistant poked his head into the room "What is it Professor?"

"Look! The data, it says that there's been action involving Ash's Pokedex.

And right here in Pallet too!" the old man explained

"What?" Tracey exclaimed "I have to go tell the guys!" he then ran out the

door

"Tracey, I don't know why you dragged us here at 10 pm." Misty yawned as

she followed Brock and Tracey into the lab, May, Max, and Dawn following

"Guys, it's incredible!" he babbled excitedly "According to the sensors,

Ash's Pokedex is active again! He's been using it at the hospital just a

few minutes ago!"

"What?!" Misty's insides broke in two when she heard his name, but

brightened up when she heard that there might be a way of finding him.

"Tracey, tell us all you know"


	2. Reunion

Chapter 2: Reunion

I do not own Pokemon

The next morning, Ash was visiting his mother again when a nurse came in.

"Excuse me, a few more people have come to visit Mrs. Ketchum" she said. Ash stood up. "I'd better go. I need to go somewhere. Bye Mom, be back around three"

"Okay dear"

Ash then stepped out the door and down the hall. His elevator just closed as another one opened up. Out stepped all of his friends. They had come to visit Delia and to tell her of Ash's possible reappearance. They walked down the hall towards her room. The group walked in to see Mrs. Ketchum a lot happier than described by the doctors.

"Hi Mrs. Ketchum" Brock greeted "It's great to see you're okay. You look a lot healthier than the other times you've woken up"

She smiled "Hello Brock, everyone. It feels a lot better to be awake actually. Just watching endless darkness is so depressing"

"I can imagine" the breeder agreed "We have news"

"What is it?"

"Ash is back" he waited for her tearful reaction, but none came

"Well of course he is, I just saw him a few minutes ago"

Everyone was startled by this "Mrs. Ketchum, are you sure you're feeling well?" Dawn asked hesitantly. She thought maybe she was hallucinating.

"Of course I'm well. He just left, and I saw him last night too" she stated. Wait, this couldn't be coincidence. The doctors said she started settling down after a stranger came into the room, and she said she saw Ash last night and that morning. Could it be he really was back?

"D-do you know when he's coming back?" Misty asked

"He said he'd visit again somewhere around three, why?"

"N-no reason. Excuse me" Misty then walked stiffly back out the door. The

others felt similarly and left too.

Ash stared up at the sky with his eyes closed

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked.

"I have a feeling someone knows" he murmured, still looking up "After we

visit Mom, we're going back to Cameroon." the mouse nodded in understanding.

Misty fell onto the couch and began shaking. She really couldn't be that Ash was back. To see her possibly? To apologize? Oh, who was she kidding? He was only there to see his mother, and then he'd leave. She glanced at the clock. 11:00 am. She had about four hours before she would head to the hospital, four hours to decide what she would say, four hours until she would see him again. How would he take it? Would he run off? Or would he embrace her and reunite them again? Or maybe, it could be worse. He could just give her the silent treatment, knowing she was there but not acknowledging it. Oh, hopefully not. She was so confused. "I need to relax" she told herself "Just relax and you'll be fine. It's not like he'll totally reject me. He's not that kind of person" She then decided to go take a walk, it would help her settle her nerves after all.

A few hours later, Ash emerged from the forest, once again heading towards the hospital to visit his mother. Pikachu followed from a slight distance so no one would recognize him. If he was to stay near Pallet and conceal his identity, he definitely couldn't walk around with a Pikachu on his shoulder, it would be a dead giveaway. Ash was really worried about his mother. While slinking around for the past few years he had managed to come across some newspapers fresh enough to read. The ones he kept involved his mother. They said it had happened when their neighbors were having an all-night party. They were having a contest to see who could drink the most without throwing up or passing out, and the winner just happened to be the only person at the party who had a driver's license. After he won, he still wasn't feeling nauseous, and decided he was feeling well to take a drive around the mountains. Miraculously, he had managed around without much damage, but Delia just happened to be walking home from the supermarket. The car was going at 220 mph. The driver was way above the legal alcohol level. It was dark. The police said it was a miracle she survived at all, and her coma wasn't surprising. The hospital staff assumed that the reason she hadn't waken up sooner was because she couldn't hear her son. Sometimes when people are in comas, they can hear what was going on around them. Everyone in Pallet knew how close Ash and Delia Ketchum were, and that was the main reason she didn't wake until a month ago... or at least, that's what the newspapers said

"It doesn't look like that much changed" Ash murmured. During his absence, Ash had roamed around Kanto, finally stopping around Cameroon to investigate time flowers and such. He was lost in thought as he neared his hospital.

"Excuse me?" A voice asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Yes?" He saw a boy about eleven years old in front of him. He had dark blue hair in a bowl like style and square like, black rimmed glasses. He was wearing a green polo shirt with a white collar and buttons brown knee-length shorts and black shoes. Max. He obviously hadn't changed his outfit or general appearance at all.

"Who are you?" A hand then reached out and dragged the boy back. He looked over to see a girl about thirteen with brown hair and a green pokeball bandana. She had on a sleeveless orange shirt, a pair of black hands with a white palm, a green fanny-pack, black shorts, and orange shoes too. It was obvious that May hasn't changed her outfit either.

"You'll have to excuse him" she said "What he means is, do you know a

trainer named Ash Ketchum?"

"I knew it, someone found out" he then replied audibly "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. I have heard of him, like everyone else in Kanto. If you'll excuse me" he went past her towards the doors of the hospital.

He was halted again when a different voice cried out "Hold it!" he whirled around, cloak swirling around gracefully, to come face to face with the one who destroyed his life…

Cliffy! I really like this story! Next chapter comes a personal favorite

of mine: aura! Review!


	3. Journey To The Heart

Chapter 3: Journey To The Heart

I do not own Pokemon

A different voice cried out "Hold it!" he whirled around, cloak swirling

around gracefully, to come face to face with the one who destroyed his

life

Ash saw in front of him a girl with flaming red waist length hair with the

only accessory being a Togepi barrette, a yellow elbow length jacket with

bell like sleeves, a red tank top underneath, a pair of worn capris, and a

pair of simple red sneakers. The trainer's eyes narrowed as Pikachu jumped

forward from some plants, willing to protect its trainer from any kind of

danger.

"Ash!" she cried out. Everyone did a double take but he remained unfazed.

"What?" he hissed "What do you want? To ruin my life further?"

"Ash, no! I would never want to hurt you! Please, I just want you to

forgive me! I'm so sorry!" she begged.

"Why should I forgive you?" he spat. "You said so yourself, our friendship

is over. Besides, the damage is done. Do you honestly think that a sorry

will make things all better?!"

"Ash!" May shouted. "Why are you acting this way? What did Misty ever do to

you?!"

He turned to her with cold, dead eyes. "You want to know what she did to

me? Fine, but why tell you when I could show you?" By now the entire gang

had arrived and watched as Ash reached inside his cloak and pulled out a

time flower. It started glowing and unweaving as a sphere of light came

out of it and expanded into a holographic image. "I found this the other

day when I was coming to visit my mother. If you want to know what

happened, watch and be quiet. If you don't, go away." he said coldly.

-Flashback/what they're watching-

A thirteen year old Ash Ketchum ran frantically down the worn dirt path.

He was stopped by a water gun right at his feet. A familiar angry redhead

ran onto the path and blocked his way. "Misty! What are you dong?! I need

to go see my mom!"

"Oh no you're not!" she growled "There's no way I'm gonna let you into

that town ever again!"

"What?! What are you talking about?! Misty, let me through!"

"No! You don't even what happened, do you? They attacked, do you know who

attacked? The heads of Team Rocket! Giovanni, Domino, Vicious, Annie, and

Oakley! Do you know why? Of course not! They attacked because they were

tired of you messing up their plans and they knew you wouldn't be here to

protect it! Ash Ketchum, this is your fault! If you had been here, the

people here- including your mother- wouldn't have been hit! You little

irresponsible, arrogant, over-confident brat! Why am I even friends with a

loser like you? You know what?! Just give me back everything I ever gave

you and we'll say we were never friends at all. Got it?!"

Her words sliced through him like a knife. He was shocked into silence for

the first few moments, before he finally regained his composure. "Fine" he

said quietly "I'll give them back" he pulled out a pink handkerchief and

an odd lure out and tossed them at her feet "There, you can forget about

ever seeing me again. That's a promise" he then left before she could see

the tears running down his face. The memory ended and Ash stood

motionless, still holding the flower up.

"Get away from me. All of you. Just leave me be and keep it that way." Ash

turned away from them and entered the hospital.

Ash sighed as he entered his mother's room "Hi Mom" he greeted

"Hello Dear" she responded. She couldn't help but feel something was off.

"What's wrong?"

"I just ran into Brock and the others downstairs" Delia nodded for him to

continue "I'm not ready to see them yet... or at least Misty. When you

fell into a coma, I tried to get here as fast as I could. I couldn't get

here though. Misty stopped me on a path and wouldn't let me through. She

blamed me, she blamed me for the attack. The one where you were hit and

started this in the first place. She insulted me, blamed me, and then she

demanded I give back everything she gave me. I couldn't hold it in!" Ash

finally had someone besides his Pokemon to explain it to, and he was

pouring out as much as he could "S-so I did. I felt horrible! First

Professor Oak told me you were in a coma, then Misty said it was my fault,

and then she said we weren't friends anymore. Then I ran. Now she thinks

that just because I'm back, a sorry will make it better! That I'll just

forget! Oh, I don't know what to do!"

"Sweetheart, come here" Delia wrapped him in the best hug she could manage

"Just follow your heart. It'll be alright. Just follow your heart"

"Thanks Mom" he smiled slightly "I think I know what to do. I need to go.

I'll visit. Bye" he then left the room.

Ash was about to disappear into the forest when he heard "Wait!"

He growled "What do you want this time?"

Misty ran up, tears in her eyes. "Ash! I'm sorry! Please wait!"

He just continued to walk, not responding.

"How do you care?" he then waved his hand at her and watched as she let go

of his arm and flew back five feet.

"Ash, please, where are you going?" he still didn't respond "Where are

going?"

He sighed at her stubbornness "If you must know, I'm going to the only

place in the world where I'm safe from you" he then closed his eyes and

murmured "The Aura is With Me" then disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Misty fell to her knees crying "He's gone" she sobbed "he's gone and I'll

never find him again"

"Hold on Misty" May said "Remember the last thing he said? 'The Aura is

With Me', right?"

"That's right" Brock said "I haven't heard him say that since..."

"Yeah!" Max said "It makes sense, he said he would be safe from us, and

that's because those orange blobs would eat all the humans there except

the ones Mew wanted to live!"

"Huh?" Dawn asked "What are you talking about?"

"No time, we need to head to Cameron."

In the trees young man in a light blue cloak saw and overheard everything. 'Aura Control.' he whispered, disappearing in a swirl of leaves as Ash did. Dawn looked in time to see a pair of Cerulean blue beast like eyes fade.

'It can't be…'

I added that last part. You probably know who the cloaked figure was already. If you do, please do not give it away. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome but no flaming.


	4. Enter Joel

Chapter 4: Enter Joel

I do not own Pokemon

A week later, the gang was- with permission from Lady Ilene- standing on the balcony of Cameron Palace where Lucario had originally agreed to help them in their search for Pikachu. They were staring at awe at the Tree of Beginning, even those who had been there before couldn't believe how amazing it was.

"This is incredible" Tracey mumbled as he sketched the large rock formation.

"Yeah. So you think that's where Ash is?" Dawn asked

"Ash?" Lady Ilene asked. "You're wondering where he is? I thought you knew. He's been staying around the Tree for the last few years and coming to Cameron every so often."

"He has? So this is where he's been." May realized. "Understandable considering how amazing it is here"

"Ash" Misty whispered.

"Lady Ilene, would you mind if we had a map of the area around here?"Brock asked, trying not to lose it. Even after all these years, Misty,Max, and Croagunk had kept him from getting a girlfriend.

"Of course" she smiled kindly, giving him a map hidden in the folds of her clothes.

"Thank you. We'll leave tomorrow." The breeder said with as much determination as they hadn't heard since a certain black haired trainer.

After three hours of walking, the exhausted group made it to the hot spring they had found last time. It was already sundown…

"That's good" Brock smiled, wiping sweat off his brow "We're almost there. Let's stay here for the night"

"Kay" Max began wandering around until he ran up to a familiar crystal flower

"What are you looking at?" Misty asked curiously.

"This Time Flower" the trainer said quietly "It's the first one that we ever saw. It used to be up on that cliff, but Ash accidentally picked it. We

replanted it later."

"Well" Misty said, trying to cheer herself and Max "That's the reason we're here, right? To get Ash back."

"Yeah." the young boy smiled "Let's head back to the others."

The next day, the large group found themselves in front of the canyon that led to the Tree of Beginning.

"This is it?" Misty asked "Wow, it really is big."

"Yeah..." Dawn agreed "Sure seems like it."

"No time to waste," Brock said seriously "We need to find Ash before the Regis find us"

"Right" the group agreed. While traveling there, Brock, May, and Max told the other three of what happened last time, and warned them of the danger

ahead. They all knew it was a Do or Die situation.

"Whoa" Dawn gasped as they entered the crystal-lightened cavern. "This

place really is incredible."

Suddenly, an orange, blobby mass came forward and headed towards was aware of the danger and immediately jumped in front of the

monster and its trainer.

"What was that?!" the frightened girl asked.

"That was one of the white blood cells" Brock said somberly "It looks like me, May, and Max can't be affected by them, but you guys can. They've

found us. We need to hurry to the heart of the Tree."

"Got it." they then ran ahead... of course, since none of them had actually

been to the heart, they were just wandering about half an hour of wandering, Tracey was almost hit by a

hyperbeam. Everyone looked up to see a figure that looked like severalhexagonal prisms and pyramids attached to each other with seven yellow

blinking dots arranged like a + sign in the middle.

"It's Regice!" Max shouted "Run!" they began sprinting as fast as theycould, being careful not to split up. Eventually, they ended up in a large

chamber with an abnormally large crystal in the center with a few more others scattered around.

"This must be the heart of the Tree..." Brock said in awe. A figure stood up

and walked into view.

"Well, I'm surprised you managed to survive this long." he said

emotionlessly "I would've thought that the cells caught up to you by now,

they did last time after all."

"Ash, please, hear me out!" Misty begged.

"Well" he sighed "since you came all this way. And I do have a few minutes."

"Ash, I never meant to hurt you. I was in Pallet when they attacked. I sawthe destruction they caused and heard Giovanni talking. After it all ended, I was just too upset and I had to take it out on someone! I'm really sorry, please, forgive me! Please!"

"Let me ask you this" Ash said coldly "How would you feel when one of your closest friends blamed you for why the person who loved and raised you was

in a coma? How would you feel if because of that person, you lived in mostly exile for years with no true human companions? You give me an apology and expect me to forgive you? When you said those things, you were hurting me. No killing me. Why should I forgive you?"

"Ash, please! I-" one of the orange blobs then zoomed in and engulfed the redhead, two more following suit with Dawn and Tracey. While Brock, May,

and Max gasped, Ash just watched calmly.

"Come on out!" the three shouted, throwing their pokeballs. If they had to go now, they didn't want their Pokemon to go down with them.

"AURA SPEAR!"

Suddenly several small blue glowing needles hit the blobs causing them to retreat back into the tree. Everyone looked up toward the origin of the attack. There stood a young man in his early twenties with his left arm outstretched. Around his wrists and ankles, he wore a golden bracer. His light blue cloak covered his light blue eyes and light brown hair. Under the cloak he wore a black shirt and blue jeans. As he jumped down to their level, he removed his cloak. Dawn and Misty looked like they saw a ghost. He glared at Ash.

"Ash, stop this now."

Ash said simply.

"Joel…"

Two chapters in a day. So you know, It was originally Riley and Lucario who were supposed to show up (jiyle's version) but in my version I decided I thought Joel should. You will find out why later. I do own Aura Spear, Joel Berlitz and the Aura techniques used. Remember to read and review. But no flames.


	5. The Path Forward

Chapter Five

The Path Forward

Sorry for the wait. I have been stuck trying to balance all my stories i've posted as well as a Auraaquashipping (Joel and Lily) Pokemon Yugioh 5ds crossover ive working on. not sure of posting it. depends on what people think.

"Joel.." Ash said simply.

"I'm surprised at you Ash. After all I've heard about you from your mother and seen first hand, this is unlike you." Joel said as if making conversation.

"I could careless about human bonds now after what she did to me." Ash growled, gesturing towarding the terrified redhead."A gaurdian needs no human companions. they only bring you down." He added. "and now I will prove it!"

The two took off running through the caves side by side. The others tried to keep up but got lost. they were able to hear Joel and Ash's echos in the caves as well as see the lights from thier attacks.

"Alright Ash. Looks like I need to knock some sense into you." Joel told him.

"Now I will show you what a gaurdian is really capable of!" Ash told him angrily.

Ash sent a barrage of Aura spears at Joel. "Aura Control!" Joel proceeded to warp a few feet away and attack with an Aura Sphere fused with Water Pulse. "Aura Pulse!"

Ash was sent into the lake below passed out from the attack. The group had managed to catch up to them just in time to see Ash fall in. Realizing Ash was passed out, Misty dove in after him. As she dove down, a bright light came from a large rainbow colored emerald. It enveloped them both..

Joel stood on the shore as the others came up to him.

"You killed him!" May shouted, clearly ticked. Dawn suddenly stepped in.

"You knew he'd be alright.."

"It's time.. Do your thing Master Stone.." Joel whispered.

I'm so sorry for the short chapter. I will make up for it next chapter. Also who will Joel be paired with? Daisy, Lily or Violet? Let me know who you think it should be.


End file.
